Man in Afghan army uniform kills 3 NATO troops
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Aug 29, 2012 16:39:18 EDT
KABUL, Afghanistan — The U.S.-led military coalition in Afghanistan says three of its troops have been killed by a man in an Afghan army uniform.
The attack is the latest in a rising number of disturbing shootings this year by Afghans soldiers — or insurgents dressed as government troops — on the international forces training them to fight the Taliban as the international coalition withdraws.
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Showing posts with label Taliban militants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taliban militants. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Heroic soldier says "It was only one day" in his career
A soldier's story: It was only one day in his military career
By TIM TRAINOR
The Montana Standard, Butte
Published: June 24, 2012
Fueled by anger, suffering from a serious back injury and with no feeling in his legs, Nick Keene fired 2,800 rounds into a group of Taliban fighters.
Then he picked up a machine gun and emptied that. He put seven or eight clips into his own personal weapon and did the same until the pain was too much and he lost consciousness.
He woke up in a hospital somewhere. Kandahar maybe, Germany. There were generals gathered around his bed. He wasn’t wearing a shirt so they pinned a Purple Heart to his blanket before he fell back into unconsciousness.
Keene, 24, a 2006 graduate of Butte High School, spent five dramatic and violent months in the Panjwayi District in Afghanistan, known as the “birthplace of the Taliban.” Located in the southeastern part of the country along the Pakistan border, it has been home to some of the most sustained fighting in the now decade-long war.
Yet, it is a place Keene was not looking to leave so soon.
“I wish I could have stayed longer,” he said. “It was hard to think that while my guys were sweating, bleeding in the mud, I’m sitting on a couch doing nothing.”
By TIM TRAINOR
The Montana Standard, Butte
Published: June 24, 2012
Fueled by anger, suffering from a serious back injury and with no feeling in his legs, Nick Keene fired 2,800 rounds into a group of Taliban fighters.
Then he picked up a machine gun and emptied that. He put seven or eight clips into his own personal weapon and did the same until the pain was too much and he lost consciousness.
He woke up in a hospital somewhere. Kandahar maybe, Germany. There were generals gathered around his bed. He wasn’t wearing a shirt so they pinned a Purple Heart to his blanket before he fell back into unconsciousness.
Keene, 24, a 2006 graduate of Butte High School, spent five dramatic and violent months in the Panjwayi District in Afghanistan, known as the “birthplace of the Taliban.” Located in the southeastern part of the country along the Pakistan border, it has been home to some of the most sustained fighting in the now decade-long war.
Yet, it is a place Keene was not looking to leave so soon.
“I wish I could have stayed longer,” he said. “It was hard to think that while my guys were sweating, bleeding in the mud, I’m sitting on a couch doing nothing.”
Commendations
It was only one day in his military career, but Keene’s actions resulted in a Purple Heart and an Army Commendation Medal with valor. He may have saved the lives of each of those soldiers lying prone on the roadside and his injured lieutenant, who was able to be transported from the fight with shrapnel wounds from which he recovered.
Nick will never be the same. Discs and vertebrae in his back were more than broken — they disintegrated and were ground into sand and chalk. It took months for doctors to confirm they did not need to amputate, but even then Keene thought he would be confined to a wheelchair. After months of painful physical therapy he learned to walk with the help of a cane that he will use for the rest of his life. He cannot climb steps and he has a lifetime of surgeries ahead of him, some of which carry the possibility of paralysis if one of the already-frayed nerves is severed.
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Tuesday, May 1, 2012
“Tell Ashley I love her.”
Soldiers recount 60-second attack that left them reflecting on life and death
By MARTIN KUZ
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 1, 2012
MUCHAI KALAY, Afghanistan -- Staff Sgt. Damian Remijio and Spc. Zachary Fitch lay on the ground as a grenade bounced down a pile of rocks toward them. Metal struck stone with awful clarity.
Ting … ting … ting …
Remijio spoke the words he believed would be his last.
“Tell Ashley I love her.” His girlfriend of a year. “Tell Leiah I love her.” His 3-year-old daughter.
“Tell them I’m sorry.”
The soldiers belong to Company D of the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment stationed at Combat Outpost Sabari in eastern Khost province. Their platoon came under attack during a patrol April 12 near Muchai Kalay, a maze of mud-walled homes 15 miles from Pakistan.
Earlier that afternoon, a mortar round hit 100 feet outside COP Sabari, the fourth time in two weeks that militants had targeted the base. The artillery strikes suggested the so-called fighting season of the Taliban-led insurgency had arrived in a region dominated by the Haqqani network.
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By MARTIN KUZ
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 1, 2012
MUCHAI KALAY, Afghanistan -- Staff Sgt. Damian Remijio and Spc. Zachary Fitch lay on the ground as a grenade bounced down a pile of rocks toward them. Metal struck stone with awful clarity.
Ting … ting … ting …
Remijio spoke the words he believed would be his last.
“Tell Ashley I love her.” His girlfriend of a year. “Tell Leiah I love her.” His 3-year-old daughter.
“Tell them I’m sorry.”
The soldiers belong to Company D of the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment stationed at Combat Outpost Sabari in eastern Khost province. Their platoon came under attack during a patrol April 12 near Muchai Kalay, a maze of mud-walled homes 15 miles from Pakistan.
Earlier that afternoon, a mortar round hit 100 feet outside COP Sabari, the fourth time in two weeks that militants had targeted the base. The artillery strikes suggested the so-called fighting season of the Taliban-led insurgency had arrived in a region dominated by the Haqqani network.
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Tuesday, February 14, 2012
After A Six Hour Stand Off Against The Taliban, Marine Awarded Silver Star
This Marine Accepted The Silver Star After A Six Hour Stand Off Against The Taliban
Robert Johnson
Feb. 13, 2012
When twenty-two-year-old Marine Sgt. Phillip McCulloch Jr. was rocked by an RPG during his third combat tour in Afghanistan, he was rushed to the hospital and given the option of going home.
His unit, the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment from Camp Pendleton had been pinned down by insurgents in a lengthy and grueling firefight within the Sangin Valley last spring. They lost 25 Marines, and suffered 200 casualties, the largest loss of any battalion in the war.
McCullouch refused the discharge, recuperated and was sent back to his unit where he continued his combat tour. He may have tried to put that day in the Sangin Valley behind him, but the Marine Corps did not, and Friday he was honored with the Silver Star, the third highest medal for valor in the nation.
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Robert Johnson
Feb. 13, 2012
When twenty-two-year-old Marine Sgt. Phillip McCulloch Jr. was rocked by an RPG during his third combat tour in Afghanistan, he was rushed to the hospital and given the option of going home.
His unit, the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment from Camp Pendleton had been pinned down by insurgents in a lengthy and grueling firefight within the Sangin Valley last spring. They lost 25 Marines, and suffered 200 casualties, the largest loss of any battalion in the war.
McCullouch refused the discharge, recuperated and was sent back to his unit where he continued his combat tour. He may have tried to put that day in the Sangin Valley behind him, but the Marine Corps did not, and Friday he was honored with the Silver Star, the third highest medal for valor in the nation.
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Monday, January 23, 2012
Afghan soldier 'killed French troops over US abuse video'
Afghan soldier 'killed French troops over US abuse video'
By Lawrence Bartlett (AFP)
KABUL — An Afghan soldier who shot dead four French troops has said he did it because of a recent video showing US Marines urinating on the dead bodies of Taliban insurgents, security sources told AFP.
The attack on the soldiers, who were unarmed, came on Friday at a base in eastern Afghanistan and left 15 other French troops wounded, eight of them seriously.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy reacted angrily, threatening to pull his forces out of Afghanistan ahead of the 2014 deadline for all US-led coalition combat troops, and dispatched Defence Minister Gerard Longuet to Kabul.
That started a round of claim and counter claim over who was responsible for the attack, with Longuet saying he was told the killer was a Taliban infiltrator in the ranks of the Afghan army.
The Taliban, usually quick to claim coalition deaths, said they were still investigating and suggested some of the many attacks by Afghan soldiers on their foreign counterparts were prompted by anger towards the "invading enemy".
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in a statement after a meeting with Longuet, failed to echo his accusation against the Taliban and also played down the idea of Afghan resentment of foreign troops.
"The attack against French forces by an Afghan army soldier does not represent the anger of Afghan people but it is just an isolated and individual action," he said.
The story emerging from the interrogation of the soldier arrested for the killings -- named as 21-year-old Abdul Mansour -- would support Karzai's interpretation.
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By Lawrence Bartlett (AFP)
KABUL — An Afghan soldier who shot dead four French troops has said he did it because of a recent video showing US Marines urinating on the dead bodies of Taliban insurgents, security sources told AFP.
The attack on the soldiers, who were unarmed, came on Friday at a base in eastern Afghanistan and left 15 other French troops wounded, eight of them seriously.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy reacted angrily, threatening to pull his forces out of Afghanistan ahead of the 2014 deadline for all US-led coalition combat troops, and dispatched Defence Minister Gerard Longuet to Kabul.
That started a round of claim and counter claim over who was responsible for the attack, with Longuet saying he was told the killer was a Taliban infiltrator in the ranks of the Afghan army.
The Taliban, usually quick to claim coalition deaths, said they were still investigating and suggested some of the many attacks by Afghan soldiers on their foreign counterparts were prompted by anger towards the "invading enemy".
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in a statement after a meeting with Longuet, failed to echo his accusation against the Taliban and also played down the idea of Afghan resentment of foreign troops.
"The attack against French forces by an Afghan army soldier does not represent the anger of Afghan people but it is just an isolated and individual action," he said.
The story emerging from the interrogation of the soldier arrested for the killings -- named as 21-year-old Abdul Mansour -- would support Karzai's interpretation.
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Friday, January 13, 2012
U.S. general warns troops to treat dead with 'dignity and respect'
U.S. general warns troops to treat dead with 'dignity and respect'
By the CNN Wire Staff
January 13, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: The Marine Corps promises an "expeditious, full and fair investigation"
The four Marines in urination video have been identified, a Marine official says
General reminds troops to treat dead with "appropriate dignity and respect"
NATO says the U.S. individuals involved are no longer in Afghanistan
(CNN) -- The deputy commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan ordered troops Friday to treat the corpses of slain insurgents and civilians with "appropriate dignity and respect."
The order follows a video that appears to show four U.S. Marines urinating on bodies, images that sparked swift condemnation from the United States and Afghanistan at a particularly crucial period in the U.S.-led war.
"We must treat the living and the dead with dignity and respect," Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti said in the directive, which was published Friday on the website of the NATO-led force in Afghanistan. He said troops must follow the rules of armed conflict and "act honorably at all times."
"In order to prevail, for the good of the coalition nations and the Afghan people, we can do no less."
The video surfaced as the United States and the Taliban have taken tentative steps toward peace negotiations and as the U.S. and its allies plan to withdraw troops by the end of 2014.
The general's directive instructed officers to ensure subordinates know that they are obligated to report any allegations of misconduct involving corpses. He promised swift investigations and "appropriate actions" against offenders.
The directive notes that "defiling, desecrating, mocking, photographing or filming for personal use insurgent dead constitutes a grave breach" of the armed-conflict laws. It also violates "basic standards of human decency, and can cause serious damage to relations with the Afghan government."
read more here
By the CNN Wire Staff
January 13, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: The Marine Corps promises an "expeditious, full and fair investigation"
The four Marines in urination video have been identified, a Marine official says
General reminds troops to treat dead with "appropriate dignity and respect"
NATO says the U.S. individuals involved are no longer in Afghanistan
(CNN) -- The deputy commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan ordered troops Friday to treat the corpses of slain insurgents and civilians with "appropriate dignity and respect."
The order follows a video that appears to show four U.S. Marines urinating on bodies, images that sparked swift condemnation from the United States and Afghanistan at a particularly crucial period in the U.S.-led war.
"We must treat the living and the dead with dignity and respect," Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti said in the directive, which was published Friday on the website of the NATO-led force in Afghanistan. He said troops must follow the rules of armed conflict and "act honorably at all times."
"In order to prevail, for the good of the coalition nations and the Afghan people, we can do no less."
The video surfaced as the United States and the Taliban have taken tentative steps toward peace negotiations and as the U.S. and its allies plan to withdraw troops by the end of 2014.
The general's directive instructed officers to ensure subordinates know that they are obligated to report any allegations of misconduct involving corpses. He promised swift investigations and "appropriate actions" against offenders.
The directive notes that "defiling, desecrating, mocking, photographing or filming for personal use insurgent dead constitutes a grave breach" of the armed-conflict laws. It also violates "basic standards of human decency, and can cause serious damage to relations with the Afghan government."
read more here
Camp LeJeune community reacts to controversial Marine video
Camp LeJeune community reacts to controversial Marine video
By: KIM GENARDO
NBC17.com
Published: January 12, 2012
Raleigh, N.C. --
An Internet video apparently showing four U.S. Marines urinating on Taliban fighters' corpses has a lot of people talking in the Camp Lejeune community.
The military has confirmed at least two of the four Marines are based in North Carolina.
"I was pretty repulsed," said Marine Corps Reservist Joe Harrington of Raleigh. "They don't seem to view the enemy as people. They're de-humanizing the enemy and that's happened in conflicts throughout history, but it doesn't make it right."
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By: KIM GENARDO
NBC17.com
Published: January 12, 2012
Raleigh, N.C. --
An Internet video apparently showing four U.S. Marines urinating on Taliban fighters' corpses has a lot of people talking in the Camp Lejeune community.
The military has confirmed at least two of the four Marines are based in North Carolina.
"I was pretty repulsed," said Marine Corps Reservist Joe Harrington of Raleigh. "They don't seem to view the enemy as people. They're de-humanizing the enemy and that's happened in conflicts throughout history, but it doesn't make it right."
read more here
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Silver Spring family throws hero’s welcome for young Marine
Silver Spring family throws hero’s welcome for young Marine
22-year-old returns home for a visit after seven-month tour in Afghanistan
by Jeremy Arias, Staff Writer
For one Silver Spring family, the holidays came early this year as Lance Cpl. Grant Romano Gates returned home from a seven-month tour of duty in southern Afghanistan with the U.S. Marine Corps.
“He’s my sloppy kid, it’s so obvious that he’s here; his things are all over the place,” said a smiling Donna Romano, Gates’ mother, as she watched her son make himself a plate of food in her living room Sunday afternoon. “But I don’t care.”
Gates, 22, left home almost a year ago to begin training at Camp Pendleton Marine Base near San Diego. Within months of arriving in California, Gates’ unit — 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment — was deployed to Afghanistan, Gates said. A machine-gunner in the infantry regiment, Gates spent most of his time in the Sangin Valley of the Helmand Province, a long sliver of land on Afghanistan’s southern border with Pakistan, where clashes between the Taliban and U.S. or NATO forces still are common.
“People ask me, ‘Why would you ever want to do this?’” he said Sunday, reflecting on his time overseas. “It’s what I wanted to do when I first joined, what I’ve always wanted to do. We did a lot of good out there; we took a lot of casualties, but I know overall that we did a good job out there.”
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22-year-old returns home for a visit after seven-month tour in Afghanistan
by Jeremy Arias, Staff Writer
Jeremy Arias/The Gazette Lance Cpl. Grant Romano Gates (left) and his mother, Donna Romano (right), celebrated Gates' return from a seven-month tour of duty in Afghanistan last week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday in Silver Spring.
For one Silver Spring family, the holidays came early this year as Lance Cpl. Grant Romano Gates returned home from a seven-month tour of duty in southern Afghanistan with the U.S. Marine Corps.
“He’s my sloppy kid, it’s so obvious that he’s here; his things are all over the place,” said a smiling Donna Romano, Gates’ mother, as she watched her son make himself a plate of food in her living room Sunday afternoon. “But I don’t care.”
Gates, 22, left home almost a year ago to begin training at Camp Pendleton Marine Base near San Diego. Within months of arriving in California, Gates’ unit — 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment — was deployed to Afghanistan, Gates said. A machine-gunner in the infantry regiment, Gates spent most of his time in the Sangin Valley of the Helmand Province, a long sliver of land on Afghanistan’s southern border with Pakistan, where clashes between the Taliban and U.S. or NATO forces still are common.
“People ask me, ‘Why would you ever want to do this?’” he said Sunday, reflecting on his time overseas. “It’s what I wanted to do when I first joined, what I’ve always wanted to do. We did a lot of good out there; we took a lot of casualties, but I know overall that we did a good job out there.”
read more here
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
North Carolina Soldier Among 17 Killed in Afghanistan Suicide Attack
Local Soldier Among 17 Killed in Afghanistan Suicide Attack
by Audrina Bigos
Oct 31, 2011
SHELBY, NC- A local family mourns the loss of U.S. Army Sgt. Christopher Newman. The soldier from Shelby was one of 13 Americans and four others killed Saturday in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Newman was Shelby born and raised.
Newman graduated from Crest High School in 2004, leaving behind his younger brother, Brent Newman.
Brent thought his brother's 6’-6’’, 280 pound build made him invincible.
"I'm thinking, just that right there, he ain't getting killed," said Newman.
Brent's grandparents knocked on his door early Sunday morning to tell him his brother was dead.
Sgt. Newman was one of 13 Americans and four others killed on an armored Nato bus in Kabul, Afghanistan. A Taliban suicide bomber rammed the bus with a car filled with explosives.
read more here
From ICasualties.org
by Audrina Bigos
Oct 31, 2011
SHELBY, NC- A local family mourns the loss of U.S. Army Sgt. Christopher Newman. The soldier from Shelby was one of 13 Americans and four others killed Saturday in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Newman was Shelby born and raised.
Newman graduated from Crest High School in 2004, leaving behind his younger brother, Brent Newman.
Brent thought his brother's 6’-6’’, 280 pound build made him invincible.
"I'm thinking, just that right there, he ain't getting killed," said Newman.
Brent's grandparents knocked on his door early Sunday morning to tell him his brother was dead.
Sgt. Newman was one of 13 Americans and four others killed on an armored Nato bus in Kabul, Afghanistan. A Taliban suicide bomber rammed the bus with a car filled with explosives.
read more here
From ICasualties.org
11/01/11 DoD: Army Casualties Idenitified (1 of 4)
Lt. Col. David E. Cabrera, 41, of Abilene, Texas, assigned to Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md...died Oct. 29, in Kabul province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.
11/01/11 DoD: Army Casualties Idenitified (2 of 4)
Staff Sgt. Christopher R. Newman, 26, of Shelby, N.C., assigned to Medical Company A, Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii...died Oct. 29, in Kabul province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.
11/01/11 DoD: Army Casualties Idenitified (3 of 4)
Sgt. James M. Darrough, 38, of Austin, Texas, assigned to 101st Finance Company, 101st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky...died Oct. 29, in Kabul province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.
11/01/11 DoD: Army Casualties Idenitified (4 of 4)
Sgt. Carlo F. Eugenio, 29, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., assigned to 756th Transportation Company, 224th Sustainment Brigade, California Army National Guard, Van Nuys, Calif....died Oct. 29, in Kabul province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Suicide bomber kills 13 Americans in Afghanistan
UPDATE
NATO: Afghan Bombing Kills 5 Troops, 8 Contractors
October 29, 2011
Associated Press|by Amir Shah
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A Taliban suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into an armored NATO bus Saturday, killing 17 people, including 12 Americans and a Canadian in the deadliest attack on the U.S.-led coalition in Kabul since the war began. It was a major setback for the alliance as it begins to draw down combat troops.
The explosion sparked a fireball and littered the street with shrapnel and twisted metal hulks. Heavy black smoke poured from burning wreckage at the site along the four-lane highway frequently used by foreign military trainers in the southwestern section of the city.
Underscoring the difficulties ahead, the brazen assault occurred on the same day that top NATO and Afghan officials were meeting elsewhere in Kabul to discuss the second phase of shifting security responsibilities to Afghan forces in all or part of 17 of the country's 34 provinces.
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NATO: Afghan Bombing Kills 5 Troops, 8 Contractors
October 29, 2011
Associated Press|by Amir Shah
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A Taliban suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into an armored NATO bus Saturday, killing 17 people, including 12 Americans and a Canadian in the deadliest attack on the U.S.-led coalition in Kabul since the war began. It was a major setback for the alliance as it begins to draw down combat troops.
The explosion sparked a fireball and littered the street with shrapnel and twisted metal hulks. Heavy black smoke poured from burning wreckage at the site along the four-lane highway frequently used by foreign military trainers in the southwestern section of the city.
Underscoring the difficulties ahead, the brazen assault occurred on the same day that top NATO and Afghan officials were meeting elsewhere in Kabul to discuss the second phase of shifting security responsibilities to Afghan forces in all or part of 17 of the country's 34 provinces.
read more here
Suicide bomber kills 13 Americans in Afghanistan
By AMIR SHAH - Associated Press | AP – Sat, Oct 29, 2011
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A Taliban suicide bomber rammed a van into an armored NATO bus Saturday, killing 13 American troops and four Afghans in the deadliest attack on coalition forces in Kabul since the war began — a major setback for the U.S.-led coalition as it begins to draw down combat troops.
The explosion sparked a fireball and littered the street with shrapnel and twisted metal hulks. Heavy black smoke poured from burning wreckage at the site along the four-lane highway frequently used by foreign military trainers in the southwestern section of the city.
read more here
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Marine Corps Reserve Corporal Arrested in Pentagon Bomb Scare
Marine Corps Reserve Corporal Arrested in Pentagon Bomb Scarealso
By RICHARD ESPOSITO, PIERRE THOMAS (@PierreTABC) , SUNLEN MILLER (@sunlenmiller) and HUMA KHAN
June 17, 2011
A Marine Corps Reserve lance corporal who was carrying suspected bomb making materials and pro-al Qaeda literature was arrested in Arlington National Cemetery early this morning, triggering a bomb scare that snarled Washington's morning rush hour. The FBI, however, determined that the material in the man's backpack was harmless.
"There was not a device and the products found are determined right now to be inert," said Brenda Heck, special agent in charge of counterterrorism for the FBI.
The material in the suspect's backpack tested negative as a potential explosive, sources said.
Sources told ABC News earlier that the backpack contained what was believed to be ammonium nitrate and spent ammunition for an automatic weapon. The material was reportedly contained in four large ziplock type bags.
Sources also said there were pro-al Qaeda statements found in a notebook that contained mostly notes for a financial class. There was also was a page containing words "al qaeda," "Taliban rules," "mujahidin" and "defeated coalition forces."
read more here
Marine Corps Reserve Corporal Arrested in Pentagon Bomb Scare
Pentagon on alert after Marine arrested at Arlington National Cemetery
By Justin Jouvenal and Dan Morse, Published: June 17
A Marine reservist taken into custody under suspicious circumstances at Arlington National Cemetery early Friday sparked an aggressive police response that led to road closures near the Pentagon and massive traffic tie-ups throughout morning rush hour.
Although authorities eventually determined there was no immediate threat to the public, they said they could not afford to take any chances. They noted that the suspect, Yonathan Melaku, 22, initially fled from police, had suspicious items in his backpack and even told officers that the bag contained bombmaking materials.
read more here
Marine arrested at Arlington National Cemetery
Monday, May 9, 2011
Father of captured Idaho National Guard Private silent no more
Father makes heartbreaking YouTube to Taliban who have held his soldier son hostage for two years
By OLIVER PICKUP
The father of an American soldier who was captured by the Taliban nearly two years ago has made a heartbreaking plea to his captors in the hope that they will release his son.
Bowe Bergdahl from Sun Valley, Idaho, went missing in June 2009 while on duty in Afghanistan's Paktika province, and now Robert has politely asked whether Pakistan - where he thinks his son is - forces will let him go.
The 25-year-old has been in the captivity of the Taliban supporting Haqqani network and four videos have been released showing the soldier begging for help - and being 'exploited' in the eyes of his father.
In the 23 months since their son went missing his parents have remained out of the public eye, until now, following the death of Osama Bin Laden.
Robert Bergdahl has posted the humble and respectful three-minute appeal on YouTube in the hope that 'this video may be played to our only son'.
From the family in Hailey, Idaho, he addresses the Taliban and the Haqqani network, and begins the film - posted on May 6 - by saying: 'These are my thoughts - I can remain silent no longer.
Read more: Father makes heartbreaking YouTube to Taliban
By OLIVER PICKUP
The father of an American soldier who was captured by the Taliban nearly two years ago has made a heartbreaking plea to his captors in the hope that they will release his son.
Bowe Bergdahl from Sun Valley, Idaho, went missing in June 2009 while on duty in Afghanistan's Paktika province, and now Robert has politely asked whether Pakistan - where he thinks his son is - forces will let him go.
The 25-year-old has been in the captivity of the Taliban supporting Haqqani network and four videos have been released showing the soldier begging for help - and being 'exploited' in the eyes of his father.
In the 23 months since their son went missing his parents have remained out of the public eye, until now, following the death of Osama Bin Laden.
Robert Bergdahl has posted the humble and respectful three-minute appeal on YouTube in the hope that 'this video may be played to our only son'.
From the family in Hailey, Idaho, he addresses the Taliban and the Haqqani network, and begins the film - posted on May 6 - by saying: 'These are my thoughts - I can remain silent no longer.
Read more: Father makes heartbreaking YouTube to Taliban
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Afghan Colonel opens fire, kills 6 US soldiers at airport
UPDATE
Nine Americans Killed By Afghan 'Pilot' at Kabul Airport
By BEN FORER
April 27, 2011
An Afghan wearing the uniform of an Afghan Air Corps pilot opened fire on a group of Americans today, killing nine before he was shot dead.
The Afghan military said the gunman was a 20 year veteran of the Afghan Air Corps and he fired after arguing with the Americans. The Taliban claimed the shooter was an insurgent who impersonated an officer to gain access to the secure area.
The dead included eight U.S military personnel and one American contractor. Five Afghan soldiers were also injured in the violence, most receiving broken bones and cuts, said Afghan Air Corps spokesman Col. Bahader.
click link above for more of this update
Nine Americans Killed By Afghan 'Pilot' at Kabul Airport
By BEN FORER
April 27, 2011
An Afghan wearing the uniform of an Afghan Air Corps pilot opened fire on a group of Americans today, killing nine before he was shot dead.
The Afghan military said the gunman was a 20 year veteran of the Afghan Air Corps and he fired after arguing with the Americans. The Taliban claimed the shooter was an insurgent who impersonated an officer to gain access to the secure area.
The dead included eight U.S military personnel and one American contractor. Five Afghan soldiers were also injured in the violence, most receiving broken bones and cuts, said Afghan Air Corps spokesman Col. Bahader.
click link above for more of this update
Afghan official: Man opens fire on Americans in Kabul; 6 dead
By Nick Paton Walsh, CNN
April 27, 2011 8:39
The man "was holding the rank of colonel at the time and he had an AK-47 with him. After his bullets were finished, then he was shot to death by armed forces," Mujahid told CNN.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Six Americans are killed, an Afghan official says
The Taliban claims responsibility for the shooting
The militant group says a "suicide attacker" killed 14 people
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- At least six American service members were killed Wednesday when an Afghan military pilot opened fire on international trainers and a "gunfight" ensued at an airport in the Afghan capital, military officials said.
NATO said six International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops and a contractor were killed. It did not disclose their nationalities.
The incident -- which occurred at the Afghan national air force compound at North Kabul International Airport -- stemmed from an argument between an Afghan pilot and an international colleague, officials said.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and said it had been working with the shooter for some time.
"A 50-year-old man opened fire at armed U.S. military soldiers inside the airport after an argument between them turned serious," said Col. Baha Dur, chief of public relations for the Afghan National Army at Kabul military airport.
read more here
Man opens fire on Americans in Kabul
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Afghan soldier "sleeper agent" blamed for killing 3 US soldiers and 5 others
NATO: 3 service members killed in Afghanistan
(AP) – 4 hours ago
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Three more NATO service members were killed in attacks in Afghanistan on Saturday, the international coalition said, making a total of eight killed on one of the deadliest days for NATO troops this year.
The three deaths announced Sunday came from two separate bomb attacks in the south on the same day that five NATO service members were killed in a suicide bombing by a Taliban sleeper agent at a U.S. base in the east.
NATO officials have said they expect a particularly violent spring and summer in Afghanistan as insurgents try to pour back into areas taken over by international troops over the winter.
Fighting usually increases in Afghanistan as the weather warms and insurgents climb back over the mountainous border with Pakistan. This year, NATO has pushed further into Taliban strongholds in the south and has said their goal is to hold these areas so that militants cannot re-establish themselves.
The next couple months are particularly key for the United States, because President Barack Obama has pledged to start drawing down troops in July.
The suicide attack in eastern Laghman province also killed four Afghan soldiers and an interpreter. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing and spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said Sunday that the soldier was a sleeper agent who had been in the army for years and had been in contact with Taliban operatives for "a long time."
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3 service members killed in Afghanistan
(AP) – 4 hours ago
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Three more NATO service members were killed in attacks in Afghanistan on Saturday, the international coalition said, making a total of eight killed on one of the deadliest days for NATO troops this year.
The three deaths announced Sunday came from two separate bomb attacks in the south on the same day that five NATO service members were killed in a suicide bombing by a Taliban sleeper agent at a U.S. base in the east.
NATO officials have said they expect a particularly violent spring and summer in Afghanistan as insurgents try to pour back into areas taken over by international troops over the winter.
Fighting usually increases in Afghanistan as the weather warms and insurgents climb back over the mountainous border with Pakistan. This year, NATO has pushed further into Taliban strongholds in the south and has said their goal is to hold these areas so that militants cannot re-establish themselves.
The next couple months are particularly key for the United States, because President Barack Obama has pledged to start drawing down troops in July.
The suicide attack in eastern Laghman province also killed four Afghan soldiers and an interpreter. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing and spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said Sunday that the soldier was a sleeper agent who had been in the army for years and had been in contact with Taliban operatives for "a long time."
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3 service members killed in Afghanistan
Thursday, January 27, 2011
UK:10 a day are now being treated for psychological problems
Ten troops a day suffer mental health problems in fight against Taliban
by Chris Hughes, Daily Mirror 24/01/2011
THE war on terror is taking its toll on the mental state of British troops with a dramatic rise in the number seeking psychiatric help.
Worrying new figures have revealed 10 a day are now being treated for psychological problems as a result of the bitter fight with the Taliban.
The daily threat of roadside bombs, fierce gun battles and seeing comrades killed or horrifically maimed in the blood and dust of Afghanistan has led to a steep increase in the number of personnel suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.
But experts claim many troops hit by mental illness do not present with any symptoms until many years after the incidents that triggered the problems.
A report for the Government by former navy doctor and Tory MP Andrew Murrison calls for serving personnel to be screened for signs of psychiatric disorders in a bid to prevent chronic illness later.
MoD figures show the number of troops with mental health issues was last year up 28% on the year before while those with PTSD had risen by a shocking 72%. Military charity SSAFA Forces Help said: “It is not surprising the intense nature of current and recent operations is resulting in an increase in mental health issues amongst those who have deployed.
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Ten troops a day suffer mental health problems
by Chris Hughes, Daily Mirror 24/01/2011
THE war on terror is taking its toll on the mental state of British troops with a dramatic rise in the number seeking psychiatric help.
Worrying new figures have revealed 10 a day are now being treated for psychological problems as a result of the bitter fight with the Taliban.
The daily threat of roadside bombs, fierce gun battles and seeing comrades killed or horrifically maimed in the blood and dust of Afghanistan has led to a steep increase in the number of personnel suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.
But experts claim many troops hit by mental illness do not present with any symptoms until many years after the incidents that triggered the problems.
A report for the Government by former navy doctor and Tory MP Andrew Murrison calls for serving personnel to be screened for signs of psychiatric disorders in a bid to prevent chronic illness later.
MoD figures show the number of troops with mental health issues was last year up 28% on the year before while those with PTSD had risen by a shocking 72%. Military charity SSAFA Forces Help said: “It is not surprising the intense nature of current and recent operations is resulting in an increase in mental health issues amongst those who have deployed.
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Ten troops a day suffer mental health problems
Monday, September 6, 2010
General Petraeus says troops will be at greater risk if Florida church burns Qurans
Petraeus Condemns U.S. Church's Plan to Burn Qurans
By JULIAN E. BARNES And MATTHEW ROSENBERG
KABUL—The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said the planned burning of Qurans on Sept. 11 by a Florida church could put the lives of American troops in danger and damage the war effort.
Gen. David Petraeus said the Taliban would exploit the demonstration for propaganda purposes, drumming up anger toward the U.S. and making it harder for allied troops to carry out their mission of protecting Afghan civilians.
"It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort," Gen. Petraeus said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. "It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems. Not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community."
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Petraeus Condemns U.S. Church Plan to Burn Qurans
By JULIAN E. BARNES And MATTHEW ROSENBERG
KABUL—The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said the planned burning of Qurans on Sept. 11 by a Florida church could put the lives of American troops in danger and damage the war effort.
Gen. David Petraeus said the Taliban would exploit the demonstration for propaganda purposes, drumming up anger toward the U.S. and making it harder for allied troops to carry out their mission of protecting Afghan civilians.
"It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort," Gen. Petraeus said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. "It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems. Not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community."
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Petraeus Condemns U.S. Church Plan to Burn Qurans
Monday, August 9, 2010
Taliban publicly flog, then execute pregnant woman in Afghanistan
Taliban publicly flog, then execute pregnant woman in Afghanistan
By Agence France-Presse
Monday, August 9th, 2010 -- 11:46 am
HERAT, Afghanistan — The Taliban publicly flogged and then executed a pregnant Afghan widow by firing three shots into her head for alleged adultery, police said on Monday.
Bibi Sanubar, 35, was kept in captivity for three days before she was shot dead in a public trial on Sunday by a local Taliban commander in the Qadis district of the rural western province Badghis.
The Taliban accused Sanubar of having an "illicit affair" that left her pregnant. She was first punished with 200 lashes in public before being shot, deputy provincial police chief Ghulam Mohammad Sayeedi told AFP.
"She was shot in the head in public while she was still pregnant," Sayeedi said.
Sayeedi said a local Taliban commander, Mohammad Yousuf, carried out the execution before the woman's body was dumped in an area under government control.
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Taliban publicly flog, then execute pregnant woman in Afghanistan
By Agence France-Presse
Monday, August 9th, 2010 -- 11:46 am
HERAT, Afghanistan — The Taliban publicly flogged and then executed a pregnant Afghan widow by firing three shots into her head for alleged adultery, police said on Monday.
Bibi Sanubar, 35, was kept in captivity for three days before she was shot dead in a public trial on Sunday by a local Taliban commander in the Qadis district of the rural western province Badghis.
The Taliban accused Sanubar of having an "illicit affair" that left her pregnant. She was first punished with 200 lashes in public before being shot, deputy provincial police chief Ghulam Mohammad Sayeedi told AFP.
"She was shot in the head in public while she was still pregnant," Sayeedi said.
Sayeedi said a local Taliban commander, Mohammad Yousuf, carried out the execution before the woman's body was dumped in an area under government control.
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Taliban publicly flog, then execute pregnant woman in Afghanistan
Monday, March 22, 2010
For Hero in Afghanistan, just another "day at the office"
Mother thought hero soldier son worked in office
Michael Smith
From The Sunday Times March 21, 2010
Lance Bombardier Gary Prout who risked his life three times under Taliban gunfire in Afghanistan.
THE mother of a soldier decorated for bravery in Afghanistan had thought he was working in an office until she found out he had won an honour second only to the Victoria Cross.
This weekend it was announced that Lance Bombardier Gary Prout had been awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. He was one of more than 150 servicemen and women who were honoured.
Prout risked his life three times in quick succession when his patrol was caught in a vicious firefight with the Taliban.
Heather, his mother, said: “He kept it from me that he was actually on the front line ... He had already done one tour. I thought he worked in an office.”
Prout, 27, from Lisburn, Co Antrim, won his medal for what the citation described as “the most incredible courage”. It added: “It was a miracle he was not killed.”
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Mother thought hero soldier son worked in office
Michael Smith
From The Sunday Times March 21, 2010
Lance Bombardier Gary Prout who risked his life three times under Taliban gunfire in Afghanistan.
THE mother of a soldier decorated for bravery in Afghanistan had thought he was working in an office until she found out he had won an honour second only to the Victoria Cross.
This weekend it was announced that Lance Bombardier Gary Prout had been awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. He was one of more than 150 servicemen and women who were honoured.
Prout risked his life three times in quick succession when his patrol was caught in a vicious firefight with the Taliban.
Heather, his mother, said: “He kept it from me that he was actually on the front line ... He had already done one tour. I thought he worked in an office.”
Prout, 27, from Lisburn, Co Antrim, won his medal for what the citation described as “the most incredible courage”. It added: “It was a miracle he was not killed.”
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Mother thought hero soldier son worked in office
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Why has Hamid Karzai forgotten 9-11?
It seems as if Karzai has forgotten how he ended up in power in the first place. Had the US not been attacked on 9-11, there would have been no invasion, no elections and Karzai would have no chance to be leader of Afghanistan. How many lives has the US and Coalition forces laid down to respond to the attacks and secure Afghanistan? How many sacrificed their lives while trying to do some good in Afghanistan? How many will need to be taken care of for the rest of their lives after they were wounded in his country? Does this man have a clue what this has cost the American people with all these years since 2001? How dare he get angry over the capture of someone responsible for what others have had to pay for what he now enjoys!
Karzai ‘Very Angry’ Over Taliban Arrest
March 16, 2010
Associated Press
KABUL -- The Afghan government was holding secret talks with the Taliban's No. 2 when he was captured in Pakistan, and the arrest infuriated President Hamid Karzai, according to one of Karzai's advisers.
The detention of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar -- second in the Taliban only to one-eyed Mullah Mohammed Omar -- has raised new questions about whether the U.S. is willing to back peace discussions with leaders who harbored the terrorists behind the Sept. 11 attacks.
Karzai "was very angry" when he heard that the Pakistanis had picked up Baradar with an assist from U.S. intelligence, the adviser said. Besides the ongoing talks, he said Baradar had "given a green light" to participating in a three-day peace jirga that Karzai is hosting next month.
The adviser, who had knowledge of the peace talks, spoke on condition of anonymity because of their sensitivity. Other Afghan officials, including Abdul Ali Shamsi, security adviser to the governor of Helmand province, also confirmed talks between Baradar and the Afghan government. Several media reports have suggested that Baradar had been in touch with Karzai representatives, but these are the first details to emerge from the discussions.
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Karzai Very Angry Over Taliban Arrest
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Capture may be turning point in Taliban fight
Capture may be turning point in Taliban fight
February 16, 2010 2:37 p.m. EST
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Arrest in Pakistan "a major blow for the Taliban," Asia-Pacific expert says
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar reportedly captured in Karachi, Pakistan
Arrest signals Pakistani-U.S. cooperation, Sen. John Kerry says
Taliban spokesman in Afghanistan denies that Baradar has been captured
Washington (CNN) -- The seizure of the Afghan Taliban's top military leader in Pakistan represents a turning point in the U.S.-led war against the militants, U.S. officials and analysts said.
The arrest of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar represents the most significant Taliban capture since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a senior Obama administration official said Tuesday.
Baradar has been a close associate of Osama bin Laden's and is seen as the No. 2 figure in the Afghan Taliban, behind Mullah Mohammed Omar.
read more here
Capture may be turning point in Taliban fight
February 16, 2010 2:37 p.m. EST
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Arrest in Pakistan "a major blow for the Taliban," Asia-Pacific expert says
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar reportedly captured in Karachi, Pakistan
Arrest signals Pakistani-U.S. cooperation, Sen. John Kerry says
Taliban spokesman in Afghanistan denies that Baradar has been captured
Washington (CNN) -- The seizure of the Afghan Taliban's top military leader in Pakistan represents a turning point in the U.S.-led war against the militants, U.S. officials and analysts said.
The arrest of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar represents the most significant Taliban capture since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a senior Obama administration official said Tuesday.
Baradar has been a close associate of Osama bin Laden's and is seen as the No. 2 figure in the Afghan Taliban, behind Mullah Mohammed Omar.
read more here
Capture may be turning point in Taliban fight
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